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All of us at the University of Florida's Center of Excellence for Regenerative Health Biotechnology are excited about Florida's future. Biotechnology can strengthen our economy and improve the quality of life for our citizens, and we are making great progress toward our goal of contributing to the growth and prosperity of Florida's biotechnology sector.
The Center of Excellence for Regenerative Health Biotechnology (CERHB) was founded in 2003 with start-up funds from the State of Florida and the University of Florida. Additional financial support comes from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Agency, the Florida Consortium for Biotechnology Workforce Development, and the UF College of Medicine. Our mission is to stimulate promising research and facilitate commercialization of technologies that will provide treatments and cures for human diseases. Our success will be defined not only by our contribution to human health, but also by the creation of new companies and high-wage jobs for Florida. We have three strategies for success:
- Expanding translational research and clinical biopharmaceutical manufacturing capacity
- Implementing training programs
- Fostering regenerative health research
In June of 2006, our biopharmaceutical manufacturing and testing services operation opened, "Florida Biologix®," will provide new high-tech jobs right here in Alachua County and throughout the state. Through its drug development services, Florida Biologix® will foster translational research, which in turn will help establish new companies, and will help existing start-ups mature, creating more jobs.
Training programs available through CERHB's Research and Education Center prepares the citizens of North Florida to enter this exciting industry with high-wage jobs. Our outreach efforts provide career information to middle and high school students through events like Biotechnology Day to bring awareness to these students. We are developing curricula in collaboration with our local community colleges, high schools, and private sector partners that are focused on industrial biotechnology. Courses are offered to entry-level and mid-career workers who wish to move into a better-paying profession where opportunities abound for employees at almost every level of the biotechnology industry. These newly trained workers will play a vital role toward transitioning novel discoveries into new medicines, improving existing therapies, and addressing the unmet needs of patients with rare diseases for which there are currently no treatments or cures.
Scientists at the University of Florida and in the biotechnology industry are addressing the prevention, cure, and rehabilitation of chronic, genetic, and degenerative diseases, as well as traumatic injuries, microbial infections, and cancer. They are developing breakthrough technologies in gene therapy, tissue replacement, transplantation, nutraceuticals, biomaterials, and vaccines. This strong public and private research capacity, combined with CERHB's training programs and biopharmaceutical development services presents great opportunities for Florida and its citizens. Together, we are working hard to elevate Florida's leadership role in biotechnology.
Richard O. Snyder, Ph.D.
Director
